In June, Tag Heuer hosted retailers at the MLS all-star game in San Jose in July (TAG Heuer is the Official Timekeeper for MLS soccer), then held a special 100 Years of Innovation event last week in Miami, where guests also took in a Miami Marlins game and got to meet brand ambassador and Marlins right fielder, Giancarlo Stanton.
The event was to celebrate TAG Heuer’s years of innovation in product and involvement with auto sports. The “100 Years” refers to the first-ever Heuer Mikrograph that was built in 1916 as a stopwatch and was used to time three early Olympic Games.
With that in mind, the brand used the occasion to introduce the all-new Limited Edition 2016 convertible Mikrograph watch – that will be in stores next month. The TAG Heuer Caliber Mikrograph 1/100th of a second Automatic Chronograph comes in an outer case enabling it to be removed from the wristwatch portal and be used as a desktop watch or dashboard piece. It is sold with a strap, a desk holder and a dashboard holder. Created in a limited edition of 100 pieces, the watch has a host of features that recalls the original. It retails for $21,000.
Also on hand for the boutique event – because it celebrates TAG Heuer’s involvement with racing -- was Carrera Panamericana racecar driver Hilaire Damiron. Adding to the excitement, the 1953 Studebaker that he will be driving in the October races was also on display. The eventual Carrera watch line was actually inspired by the early 1950s Carrera Panamericana races, which Jack Heuer was enthralled with. One of the most dangerous races on earth, the Carrera Panamericana races were only held five times before being suspended. They were restarted in 1988 and today, TAG Heuer is the Official Partner and Official Timekeeper for the internationally recognized rally.
But TAG Heuer goes beyond auto racing, beyond soccer, beyond baseball, football and other team sports and continually rises to new occasions. This weekend coming up, TAG Heuer is also a key presenting sponsor in the very unusual SEA Paddle NYC event. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the 25-mile charity paddle around Manhattan. On August 20th, hundreds of paddlers will begin their 25-mile journey under the Brooklyn Bridge, heading north up the East River, into the Harlem River and finally down the Hudson River, passing the Statue of Liberty and finishing at Chelsea Piers Marina.
TAG is the presenting sponsor and its brand ambassador – world champion stand up paddle champion (and surfer) – Kai Lenny will be competing. The event supports Autism and several environmental charities. SEA Paddle NYC serves as the Surfers’ Environmental Alliance’s primary fundraiser. Through paddler fundraising, corporate sponsorship and ancillary events, it has raised over $2.35 million for environmental preservation and numerous autism non-profits.
If fans miss Lenny at the SEA Paddle NYC event, they may have another chance to watch him surf the big waves in Hawaii in December for the Big Wave Tour, organized by the World Surf League. TAG Heuer is the Official timekeeper of the event.
In addition to these events, TAG Heuer holds a host of sponsorship roles including: Official Timekeeper of the Indy 500 (which takes place in Indianapolis in May), Official Sponsor of Red Bull Racing; Official Timekeeper of the Chicago and New York City Marathons.
